Barack Obama welcomed the Dalai Lama to a private meeting at the White House on 15 June, the fourth Washington meeting the US president has had with the Buddhist spiritual leader. China, however, has expressed its objections to foreign leaders hosting the exiled Tibetan figure and pointed out that he is considered an "anti-China separatist".

"The 14th Dalai Lama is not simply a religious figure but a political figure in exile who has been conducting secessionist activities internationally under the pretext of religion," the statement said. "If President Obama meets with Dalai Lama, it will send the wrong signal to Tibetan separatist forces, and it will undermine the mutual trust and cooperation between China and the US."

Barack Obama met the Dalai Lama for a closed-door meeting in the White House Map RoomOfficial White House Photo by Pete Souza

"All of those were policy positions of the United States before the meeting occurred. Our policy hasn't changed after the meeting.''

The Dalai Lama offered Obama his condolences following the terror attack in Orlando, which resulted in 49 deaths, and led a minute of silent prayer for the shooting victims during a visit at the US Institute of Peace in Washington.

"The president thanked the Dalai Lama for his expression of condolences about the terrorist attack in Orlando over the weekend," Earnest said.

The White House has stressed that the meeting was more of a personal conversation during which the two leaders discussed human rights and climate change.